In Sickness and In Health
by eorocks
Summary: Olivia hasn't been feeling well, but what happens when she has to lean on Elliot a little?
1. Chapter 1

Olivia got up from where she'd been kneeling in front of the toilet and wiped her mouth with the tissue she had bunched up in her hand. She walked out to the sinks, splashed some cold water on her face, and brushed her hair back from her face.

She pressed her hands against her abdomen, and then slid them around to her back. She'd been fighting a damned kidney infection for two weeks now, and the combination of cramping and medication had wreaked havoc on her stomach. She couldn't keep anything down and she felt like absolute shit.

She'd seen the look of concern on Elliot's face the past few days, when her efforts to keep him from noticing had failed. She had tried to keep her distress from him because she didn't want him to think she couldn't keep up…couldn't do her job. Even though he would never say that to her, never think that of her, and most probably would tell her that she was being ridiculous, the competitive streak in her still made her feel like she had something to prove. Even after all these years.

Olivia rinsed out her mouth again, spitting into the sink. She stood again, grimacing as another wave of pain gripped her. She grabbed the edge of the sink, waiting for it to recede, or at least settle into the level of misery she had learned to live with, but it didn't seem like that was in the cards. She held her right side with one hand, muttering curses under her breath, when she heard a knock on the bathroom door. She looked up as the door opened a crack.

"Liv?"

Olivia recognized Elliot's voice before he poked his head between the door and the frame.

"You in here?"

Olivia straightened up and dropped her hand, trying to paste on a poker face. "This is the ladies' room." She said without amusement, knowing full well that he knew that. "You can't come in here."

"We've got a call." Elliot said, completely ignoring her comment and opening the door more fully. He looked around the room. The scent of vomit clung in the air, despite the fan in the room. His eyes landed on her face and he saw the paleness in her cheeks and the bags beneath her eyes. He stepped in the room completely and let the door close behind him. "I'm gonna take Fin." He said. "You should go lay down in the cribs and when I get back, I'll take you home."

"I'll be ready in a minute." Olivia said vehemently, refusing to even acknowledge his comment as she scrubbed her hands over her cheeks.

"Liv." Elliot said, exasperation in his voice.

"I'm fine." Olivia interrupted before he could say anything else. "Just give me a minute..." She repeated. "And we'll go." She turned back towards the mirror, hoping he would listen to her and leave.

Elliot stood rooted in place, debating his next move. If he pushed her, they would end up arguing, and he didn't want to stress her anymore when she clearly wasn't feeling well. Before he could say anything, she shot him a dirty look.

"I'll be out in a minute." She said, clearly ending the conversation.

Elliot let out a sigh and let himself out of the bathroom to wait for her.

EOEOEOEO

Two more days had passed, and Elliot couldn't keep quiet any longer. Olivia looked like awful, and she'd been away from her desk more often than not. Thankfully it had been a slow day, and they hadn't been called out to any crime scenes, because he wouldn't have let her go. And then there would have been a battle.

Elliot pushed himself away from his desk, stood up and headed to the women's bathroom. He leaned against the wall directly across from the door, so he could intercept her the moment she came out. He only had to wait a few minutes before Olivia emerged, and she stopped short when she saw him standing there.

"Did we catch a case?" She asked, wiping at her chin self-consciously, even though she knew she had washed her face.

Elliot shook his head. "I need to talk to you." He nodded his head in the direction of the locker room, and then walked towards her.

"I need to get back…" Olivia said, trying to hold her ground. But Elliot only stepped closer, crowding her until she had no option but to head to the locker room.

"Humor me."

Elliot closed the door behind them, and he saw Olivia put some distance between them before she turned to face him.

"What is it?" she asked, pretending like she couldn't possibly imagine what he wanted to talk about. She hoped her attitude would scare him into rethinking this conversation, but the look in his eyes let her know that he was intent on pursuing his line of questioning.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Olivia shrugged slightly. "I don't know what you mean." She said, cutting her eyes away and continuing the pretense, just in case he caved.

"Cut the bullshit." Elliot said. "You haven't been feeling well for the past three weeks."

"It hasn't been three weeks." Olivia said, realizing her blunder the moment the words were out of her mouth. She clearly wasn't on top of her game.

"So, you admit it." Elliot said.

"Admit what?" Olivia asked, changing tactics. Maybe he'd get so annoyed with her that he'd storm out.

"That you're not feeling well."

"I didn't say that."

"Liv." Elliot said, trying to rein in his frustration. "Just tell me what's wrong."

Olivia let out an exasperated sigh. "This is ridiculous." She said, looking back up at him. "It's nothing. I'm taking care of it."

"Taking care of it?" Elliot asked. "What does that mean?"

"Elliot." Olivia said, trying to keep calm. "I'm fine. I can handle this on my own." She said. "Can I get back to work now?" She started to move towards the door, but Elliot stepped in front of it, effectively blocking her.

"Are you pregnant?" Elliot blurted out.

Olivia stopped in her tracks. "What?

"Are you pregnant?" He repeated. The thought had been plaguing him for the past two weeks, when the "flu" she claimed to be fighting showed no sign of abating.

"No!" Olivia said indignantly. She shook her head, genuinely surprised by the question. "No…I'm not pregnant. Why…" She started but cut herself off. "Not that it's any of your business."

"It _is _my business." Elliot said, unsure as to whether or not he believed her. "You're my partner, and you're obviously not feeling well. You've been throwing up for weeks and I'm concerned about you."

Olivia pressed her lips together. "I appreciate your concern…" She started. "But I'm taking care of it."

"So you've said." Elliot furrowed his brow, hating the sound of that. Now he was back to thinking she _was_ pregnant. "But what does that mean?"

"For God's sake Elliot." She said. "I'm not pregnant. I just have an infection I'm fighting. I'm on a strong dose of antibiotics and they just don't sit well in my stomach. That's it." She took another step in his direction but stopped again when he didn't move.

"Three weeks is a long time to be on antibiotics." Elliot said. "So, I would have to say they're not working."

"I'm a big girl Elliot." Olivia didn't want to get into the numerous follow-up visits and the changes in antibiotics and the frustration on her part. She put her hands on her hips, challenging him. "Are we done here?"

Elliot wanted to tell her _no_…they weren't done. He wanted to tell her that he'd never seen her look quite so pale, and that if pressed, he'd had to guess that she'd lost at least 10 pounds. He wanted to tell her that he hasn't seen a smile on her face or heard her laugh at one of John's stupid jokes in weeks. He wanted to tell her that he'd never stop worrying about her.

But the look on her face told him the conversation was over, and he held his tongue. She seemed to sense his acquiescence, and she moved around him and out of the locker room.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot hadn't heard from Olivia all weekend, but that wasn't highly unusual. He hoped that when she showed up today, the color had returned to her face and she would be able to keep down the muffin he'd left on her desk. After their discussion the Wednesday before, she had offered up that she was going to see a different doctor, and he'd silently accepted the information. He had wanted to ask more questions, but didn't, knowing that her telling him as much as she had was more than he should expect.

When an hour had gone by, and Olivia hadn't shown up, he started to worry. When an hour and a half had passed, he felt a thread of panic in the pit of his stomach.

_Why in the hell hadn't he checked in on her this weekend?_

He picked up his phone and dialed her cell number, but it rang three times and went to voicemail. "Liv, give me a call." He said, hanging up after he'd left his message.

Cragen come out of his office. "Elliot."

He turned to face the Captain and saw a slip of paper in his hand. "Yeah Cap'n."

"Got a call from that woman you interviewed last week. Amy Clark. She thinks she remembers some more details and wants to talk to you."

Elliot motioned towards Olivia's desk. "OK. I'll go when Liv comes in."

"Take Fin. Liv's out for a few days." Cragen said.

"What d'ya mean she's out for a few days?" Elliot asked.

"Don't know how to say it any other way." Cragen said. "She took a few days off."

"Can Fin and Munch take it?" Elliot asked. He wanted to connect with Olivia and make sure she was okay.

"It's your case." Cragen said. "I need you to go."

Elliot bit back a comment and took the slip from Cragen's hand. He turned to Fin. "You're driving."

EOEOEOEO

Elliot and Fin were done interviewing Amy Clark, and Elliot checked his messages when they exited the apartment. He was disappointed to see that none of them were from Olivia, despite the text and voicemails he'd left for her, but he did have one from Halloran. He listened to it as Fin pulled away from the curb.

"Son of a bitch." He said angrily. "Pull over." He barked at Fin.

"What the hell?" Fin asked, shooting him a dirty look.

"I said pull over!"

Fin muttered a few swear words, but ultimately did as Elliot directed. "Tell Cragen I need a few hours." He told Fin as he slammed the door, not waiting for an answer.

The moment Fin pulled away from the curb, Elliot hailed a cab. He slid in the back seat and slammed the door. "Mount Sinai Hospital." He said. "Step on it."

The ride still took almost an hour and he was practically jumping out of his skin by the time they pulled up in front of the hospital. He threw some money at the driver and rushed out of the cab, practically pushing people out of the way as he went to the information desk. There were a few people ahead of him, and he shifted impatiently as he waited.

Finally, it was his turn.

"Yes." He said, when it was finally his turn. "I'm trying to find a patient here. Or I think she's a patient. Or…"

"Name?" The receptionist asked in a monotone voice, not interested in his conjecture.

"Olivia Benson."

The woman's nails clattered on the keyboard as she typed, and it seemed to him that she typed a lot more characters than Olivia's name required.

"And your relationship to her?" The woman asked without even looking at him.

Elliot hesitated for a few moments before answering. "I'm her husband."

The woman's eyes flicked up to his. There was a challenge there, and he knew she was trying to decide if she should believe him or not. He pulled out his badge. "Listen…I was on case." He started. "I was supposed to be here earlier but…" He shrugged, as if he would love to tell her more but couldn't.

"She's in post-op. Bay 4. On the second floor." She said, giving him a small smile as she gave him the information.

_Post-op._

Elliot thanked her, barely hearing her response, and sprinted towards the elevators, punching the number 2 as soon as he was inside. When he emerged on the second floor, it took him a moment to figure out where he was going. But as soon as he walked into the area, he saw there was another nurse's station he was going to have to contend with. Fortunately for him, a nurse was taking another person back into the area, and he walked casually behind them, as if he'd just stepped out for a moment.

He walked down the hallway of curtained bays, amazed at the amount of activity going on everywhere. He found Bay 4, and then hesitated a moment, wondering what on Earth he was going to say when he barged into the room. He hadn't really thought it through. This was complete invasion of her privacy…having Halloran track her phone and lying to get her information at the front desk.

"Can I help you sir?"

He jumped when he heard the voice to his left. He saw a nurse with her hand on the curtain, as if she was ready to go into Olivia's bay and he went with the lie. "I'm here for Olivia." She gave him a quizzical look, but must have figured that he was on the up and up if he'd made it that far, and he opened the curtain to let him in.

He wasn't prepared for the sight in front of him. Olivia was laying in a hospital bed, dressed in a blue gown with several blankets piled on top of her. Her eyes were closed, and she had an IV snaking out of her arm. There was another monitor hooked up, emitting a series of sounds that he didn't know how to interpret.

"Is she…" Elliot whispered. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She's doing fine." The nurse said. "She should be waking up soon. And then the doctor will be up to see her before we discharge her."

"Discharge her?"

"Yes." She said, furrowing her brow. "It's just outpatient surgery. She didn't tell you that?"

"Um. Yeah. I guess she did. I just…"

"Who are you?" The nurse asked, looking at skeptically and then back down at her chart.

"I'm a friend." He said. "Her partner."

The nurse seemed to accept his answer, and she pointed to a chair on the other side of the bed. "You can sit there with her. She'll be coming out from under the anesthesia, so she'll be in and out." She headed towards the hallway. "I'll be back shortly."

Elliot watched her go, and then rounded the bed, taking the seat the nurse had indicated. He watched the monitor measure her heartbeat, and he found he wanted to reach out and touch her, just to make some kind of connection. He hoped she wasn't too angry to see him there when she woke up; maybe the drugs she was on would temper her reaction.

He waited for about twenty minutes and he saw her start to stir. Her eyes were still closed but he could tell she was coming out of it, and he reached out and touched her hand lightly. "Liv." He whispered.

She only gave a low moan in return, and he wasn't sure if that was some kind of response, or just a random sound. She still seemed pretty far out of it, so he settled back in his chair to wait.

The nurse came in when another ten minutes had passed. "Olivia." She said loudly. "Olivia, can you hear me?" She reached out and placed a hand on Olivia's arm. "You need to take some deep breathes. Your oxygen levels are low."

To his surprise, Olivia responded with a few deep breathes, and her eyelids fluttered.

"Olivia. Can you hear me?" The nurse asked.

Olivia mumbled something unintelligible, and then she opened her eyes. They closed almost right away, and it wasn't until the third time she opened them that she looked around the room and spotted Elliot sitting by her bedside.

"Elliot?" Her voice was thick, and the nurse held a glass of water with a small straw. Once Olivia had taken a drink, she repeated his name. "What…"

Her question was interrupted by the arrival of the doctor. She came in with a big smile, and Elliot learned that they had gone in and retrieved a large kidney stone that had been causing all the pain, and the infection in her system. The doctor noted the surgery went as planned, that she had prescribed another week of antibiotics and a week's worth of painkillers. Her eyes flicked to Elliot. "I see you have someone that will be taking you home." She turned her attention to him. "She can't be left alone for at least 8 hours post-surgery. Is that a problem?"

Elliot shook his head.

"OK. Good. It can take about 24 hours for the effects of anesthesia to wear off, so she may need help for a little longer, but I imagine she's mostly going to sleep." She turned to the nurse. "Rose here will provide post-op instructions." She turned to Olivia. "And I'll see you back in my office in a week. Any questions?"

Olivia mumbled a no, but Elliot could tell she was still out of it. The doctor accepted her answer though and handed some paperwork to the nurse and left.

"I'll be back shortly to see if Olivia is awake enough to get dressed and then we'll get her discharged."

Elliot watched her disappear again, and he turned his attention back to Olivia. She had her eyes closed, and she looked small and pale laying in the hospital bed.

"What are you doing here?" She rasped out.

Elliot couldn't hear any emotion in her voice, so he wasn't sure if she was angry or not. "I could ask you the same thing." He said. He watched as she fought to open her eyes. "I can't believe you had surgery and didn't tell me."

"It's nothing." Her voice was still barely more than a whisper and her eyes were still closed.

"It wasn't nothing. You were anesthetized for God's sake." Elliot said. "And just how were you planning on getting home? And who was going to stay with you?" He panicked for a second, wondering if there was someone here to do just that…someone he didn't know about. She didn't open her eyes…didn't offer any more excuses or rationale, so he assumed she didn't have an answer for him. She was so goddamned stubborn…never wanting to ask for help or appear weak…but this was ridiculous. He tried to push his frustration with her away; it wouldn't do any good now. But he was definitely going to talk to her later, when the drugs had worn off.

The room was quiet for a few minutes more, and then the nurse came back in. She roused Olivia again and encouraged her to drink some water. She was chatting with Olivia as she moved around the room, talking about someone celebrating a birthday on the staff and other such useless information. Elliot saw her ploy was to just try to keep Olivia focused as she removed her IV and the other monitoring equipment. The next thing he knew, she had dropped a bag with Olivia's clothes on the end of the bed and told Olivia that she'd give her some privacy as she got dressed.

Elliot watched her go, and looked back at Olivia, wondering how in the hell she was supposed to get dressed herself. She had just had _surgery_ for Chrissakes. He looked at Olivia. "Do you want…I mean…do you think you can…" He reached for the bag of clothes and pulled them out, setting her running shoes on the floor. "Do you need help?" He turned his attention back to the small pile of clothes, thankful to see she had some loose sweats and a t-shirt and a hoodie. He tried to ignore the navy-blue bra and underwear piled neatly on top.

Olivia felt like she could sleep for days, and the thought of getting dressed, making her way outside and all the way home seemed monumental. In that moment, she was glad that Elliot was there. "I'm not sure." She pushed herself into more of a sitting position, prepared for a twinge of pain but feeling nothing. She probably had painkillers to thank for that. She reached for the pile of clothing and dragged it across the bed towards her, feeling like it took monumental effort.

Elliot saw her pluck the bra from the pile, and then look up at him.

"Will you just turn around?" She asked. Elliot nodded and did as she asked. Once he had his back to her, she swung her legs off the bed gingerly, and started tugging at the gown, pooling it at her waist. Her moves were slow…weighted…and getting dressed seemed like a monumental effort. She decided to skip the bra and pulled the t-shirt over her head. She managed to get her arms into the sleeves of her sweatshirt and got that zipped up to cover her breasts.

"Everything going okay?" Elliot asked. He heard the zipper, but things seemed to be moving slowly. "Do you want some help?" He was surprised when she said yes, and he turned to see her with her underwear in her hand.

"I just can't reach down to…" She felt so ridiculous asking for help, but there was nothing she could do. She was surprised the nurse would just leave her on her own to deal with this, but she supposed the woman assumed that was why Elliot was there. She didn't know the nature of their relationship. "I just need help getting started."

Elliot took the offered underwear from her hand, avoiding eye contact as he crouched down in front of her. He slipped them over her feet and ankles, trying not to think about the number of times he had imagined a scenario like this…sans hospital and surgery. Except in those dreams, he was taking them off.

He was going to hell…thinking about that at a time like this.

He snatched Olivia's sweatpants off the bed, and got them over her ankles as well, so that everything was bunched there. He tugged her underwear and sweats up to her knees and looked up at him, and he could see that she was embarrassed about needing his help, especially with something as basic as getting dressed.

"S'okay Liv." Elliot said, trying to put her at ease. "You just had _surgery_." His hands lingered on the material, as if asking if she needed him to continue.

"I can take it from here." Olivia said.

Elliot nodded and stood up. He turned his back and took a few steps forward, wanting to be ready in case she faltered. He could hear her slide off the bed, emitting a grunt as she did so, and then a minute later, she told him that he could turn around. He noticed she looked a little unsteady on her feet, and he reached out and wrapped his hand around her bicep. "OK?"

Olivia nodded in appreciation. The nurse showed up in that moment and forced her into a wheelchair. Olivia didn't put up much of a fight. She felt so weak and despite wanting to take care of herself, she was glad that Elliot was there. She reached up and slipped her hand into his. "Thank you." She whispered, squeezing it slightly before letting go.

They were quiet on the way down to the main doors, and Elliot helped her gently into the taxi, feeling crappy that he didn't have another way to get her home. He slid in next to her, giving the driver specific instructions to drive slowly and carefully. He settled back in the seat and wrapped his arm around Olivia, pulling her against him. He was glad that she didn't fight him, laying her head against his shoulder. He leaned over and whispered into her hair. "Rest. I've got you."


	2. Chapter 2

Olivia was exhausted by the time they made it into her apartment and the only thing she could think about was sleeping. She leaned heavily on Elliot all the way from the cab to the apartment and was thankful as he walked them right into her bedroom. She saw the father in him as he set her on the bed, knelt down and took off her shoes, and helped her off with her sweatshirt. The next thing she knew he was sliding her legs beneath the covers and pulling up the blankets.

"Sleep." Elliot whispered, brushing her hair back from her face. He knew that wasn't going to be a problem, as her eyes were already half-closed.

"I'm not going to argue."

"For once." Elliot said, chuckling lightly.

Olivia let out a small huff as she closed her eyes.

"I'm going to Duane Reade to fill your prescriptions and to the market to get some food, but I'll be back as soon as possible."

Olivia opened her eyes again. "You don't have to…"

"You said you weren't going to argue." Elliot said. He leaned over slightly. "Just relax and let me take care of you."

"You don't have to…" Olivia said softly, still conflicted with guilt for taking his time and appreciation that he was there for her. She felt her eyes drift closed again.

"Liv. I'm your partner. Remember? For better or worse…in sickness and in health."

She heard his words, surprised that he likened their partnership to marriage. She'd had the same thoughts over the years as their partnership had continued and their friendship had deepened. "But you're getting the worst parts without any of the good parts."

Elliot raised an eyebrow…wondering if she realized what she'd said…because his mind went right to sex. "There are plenty of good parts Liv…at least I thought so. Maybe you have a different idea of what the good parts are." He quipped. He saw her eyes flutter open again and shoot him a questioning look. "It's all good Liv. Please just relax and let me do this." He saw Olivia's eyes drift close, and he accepted that as her answer. "I'll be back as quickly as I can." He whispered, but he thought she was probably already asleep.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot had run around as quickly as he could…having to fight his impatience at just how long it took to get a prescription filled. But he'd been back for three hours now, and Olivia hadn't stirred. He was sitting on her couch with the TV on…a baseball game playing out on the screen in silence. He kept sneaking over to her bedroom door and peaking in to check on her, but it didn't appear that she had moved at all. But now he was wondering if he needed to wake her up so he could give her some painkillers. He knew they needed to stay on top of that before the anesthesia and pain meds in her system wore off completely.

While he was in mid-debate with himself, he heard the soft sound of footsteps and the creak of a door. He hopped up and moved towards her bedroom, just in time to see the bathroom door close. He hesitated a moment, taking in the empty bed and the full glass of water on the nightstand. He walked over towards the bathroom door and knocked softly. "You okay?" he asked.

Olivia didn't answer him immediately because she was focused on the task at hand. She couldn't seem to get her body to cooperate. It was as if her body was in shock from being violated by surgery. Moments later though, she cried out in pain as she started to pee, and she heard Elliot's hand on the doorknob. "Don't come in." She gasped out. He didn't need to see her in such a compromising position.

It took everything in him to comply with her request, and he waited impatiently, happy when he heard the toilet flush and the water in the sink. He took a step back as Olivia came out of the bathroom, and his hand was on her arm immediately, ready to steady her if she faltered. "You okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Olivia said, feeling out of sorts and annoyed by his concern, even though there was no reason for it. She was going to blame the drugs.

"C'mon. Let's get you back in bed."

"I don't want to go back to bed." Olivia said, pulling her arm from his grasp. The movement almost made her stumble; she hadn't realized how unsteady she was on her feet. Elliot's hand was back on her arm in a second.

"You need to rest." Elliot said. "And you need to drink something. And take some painkillers."

"Stop." Olivia said, pushing at him ineffectually so that she could pass by him. "I can take care of myself."

Elliot gave her one of his looks but dropped his hand and took a step back. Normally, he admired Olivia's strong will and independence, but he hated that she couldn't recognize that sometimes, even she needed help. It was the same reason she'd gone off to have surgery without telling a soul. He wanted to challenge her, but she wasn't herself right now, so he left it, hovering in case she needed help. She hated taken two steps when he saw her waver slightly, and the next thing he knew, her knees started to buckle. He was there in an instant, catching her around the waist and pulling her tightly against his body. She didn't say a word, and he scooped her into his arms and carried her, bridal style, back to bed. He had another moment, similar to the one he'd had in the hospital, and pushed the inappropriate thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to be thinking of the parallels with dreams he'd had of these kinds of moments. The woman was recovering, and those thoughts had no place.

When he lowered her onto the bed, he slid her legs beneath the sheets and looked back at her. She was so pale, and he saw tears on her lower lashes. The sight alarmed him.

"Are you in pain?" He asked with alarm. "Is something wrong?" He had no idea what her surgery actually entailed. Did she have stitches? Did he have to worry about her bleeding?

Olivia shook her head slightly.

"What? Tell me." Elliot said, reaching down and lightly wiping a tear that had escaped.

"I just hate this." Olivia said, sniffling as she spoke. "I hate being weak."

"Jesus Liv. You're not weak." Elliot said. "You're the strongest woman I know." He meant what he said. "Give yourself a break. Everyone needs help sometimes." He brushed her hair back from her face. "You have to know that. And you have to know that it's okay to ask. No one thinks any less of you." He pressed his lips together and a few more tears broke free from her lashes. He knew she hated to let anyone see her cry, but he wasn't sure if she even realized that she was. "I hate that you tried to do this on your own."

"What was I supposed to do? I don't have anyone…" These were the moments Olivia hated…that there wasn't anyone to share good news and bad with…no one to come home to…to talk about her day with. No one to turn to in times of crises.

Elliot was dumbstruck by her comment; it made his heart hurt. "God Olivia. You have me. You always have me."

"This isn't…" Olivia closed her eyes. "Not for things like this."

"Didn't you hear what I said before?" Elliot wondered if she'd been too out of it at the time, despite her comments.

"I remember." Olivia said softly. "In sickness and in health." She closed her eyes. "But everyone has their limitations."

"I have four kids. This is nothing." Elliot leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Now quit trying to get rid of me. Because I'm not going anywhere."

Olivia let out a sigh, thankful that he was so damned stubborn.

EOEOEOEO

It was after 11PM when Olivia woke again, and while her head was clear, the effects of her painkillers had definitely worn off. She wanted to call out to Elliot, but her throat was dry. She reached over to grab the glass of water that Elliot had left on the nightstand, but she felt a stab of pain and she cried out, accidentally knocking the glass to the floor as she brought her hand back to grab at her abdomen. The glass shattered, and she heard the commotion as Elliot raced into the bedroom.

Elliot saw Olivia curled slightly on the bed, and the shards of glass mixed with the puddle of water on the floor. "Jesus, you scared the hell out of me." He'd been half asleep on the couch when he'd heard her cry out, and his adrenaline was pumping. He could see she was in pain, and he felt like a shit for not making her take her pain meds when she'd been awake before. "Tell me what you need." He said, making his way over to her while skirting the glass.

"Water." She croaked out.

Elliot made his way back to the kitchen quickly, got a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and grabbed the prescription bottle of Tylenol with codeine. He shook one out of the bottle while he walked back, and when he got to her bedroom, he saw her perched on the end of the bed, doubled over.

"That bad?" He asked. He squatted down on his haunches, so he was almost eye level with her and handed her the water and meds. He hated seeing her in pain like this and said a prayer of thanks that she'd never been seriously hurt on the job.

"It's not bad." Olivia lied, taking the meds from him. She had a pretty high pain tolerance, so she hated taking something so strong, but she didn't think ordinary painkillers were going to do the trick. On top of that, she had a pounding headache…the result of not drinking enough water since she'd been home. Once she'd drained the glass, she handed it back to Elliot, and he set it on the nightstand.

"OK, why don't you lay back down." He said, running his hands lightly down her arms.

"I don't think I can sleep." Olivia said. She didn't have the energy to get up, but she wasn't really tired.

"OK." Elliot said. "Do you want to come out to the living room? Watch a movie or something?" He saw the doubtful look on Olivia's face and knew she was worried about moving. "I can carry you."

"You're not carrying me."

"It's not a big deal."

"Elliot…" Olivia said, clearly annoyed.

"OK. How about I bring the TV in here? We can curl up in bed and find something to watch." Elliot couldn't believe he'd just said that; it didn't sound like he'd intended. "I mean…you can watch and I'll just…" He looked around the room.

Despite the pain, Olivia's heart skipped a beat when Elliot suggested they curl up in bed together, even though she knew that wasn't what he'd meant. Another day…another time…she would have died to have him crawl into her bed. "OK." She said softly. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Let me clean this up first."

Olivia watched as he picked up the glass and then took it into the kitchen. He came back with a towel and started wiping up the water. He saw it had run down the front of her nightstand, and he wiped it down, pulling open the top drawer in case some had run inside. He saw Olivia's gun and a pair of handcuffs, and next to that was a box of condoms. "Oh…" He said. "Uh…" He closed the drawer quickly, feeling like he had invaded her privacy.

Olivia felt her cheeks flushed, even though there was no reason to feel that way.

Elliot didn't even look at her, images of her with other men crowding into his mind. He hated that he didn't know who she spent her time with, but it was better than when he'd been subjected to a stream of information on dates she'd be on…good and bad. He reached for the second drawer and opened it, ready with the towel, when he saw a bottle of lubricating gel and a vibrator. He just stared at it and felt a flush creep up his neck and into his cheeks. "I…I'm…" He laughed uncomfortably and closed the drawer, avoiding eye contact with Olivia. "I'm just going to…" He jerked his head towards the bathroom, stood up and disappeared as quickly as he could.

Olivia blush turned into outright mortification. Not because she had those things, but because Elliot had seen them. And it was just…

God…the number of times she'd thought about him when she…

_Oh God._

Of course, Elliot didn't know that but…

_Oh God_. She looked towards the bathroom, wondering what in the hell he was doing in there right now. He'd ostensibly gone in there to hang up the wet towel, but she knew he was probably hiding in there, embarrassed to come out.

A wave of nausea hit Olivia, and she clapped her hand back over her abdomen. She felt dizzy suddenly, and all thoughts left her mind as she focused on the cramping in her stomach. "Elliot!" She called out, not nearly as loudly as she'd thought. But he must have heard her because he came rushing out just as a stream of vomit hit the floor.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia watched as Elliot hooked up the TV in her bedroom. He hadn't said a word as he had cleaned up the floor a second time, and she wasn't sure what she'd done to deserve so much. Her unfortunate sickness had overridden any of the awkwardness she had expected after he had found her 'toys', but now there was a whole other level of discomfort on her part.

The man had not signed on for this.

"Once you get this hooked up, why don't you go home and get some sleep?" Elliot had to be exhausted. He'd been to work early in the morning, then he'd come to the hospital, and now he'd been here for hours and hours. "It's after midnight."

"I'm not leaving." He said firmly. He was tired of her trying to push him out the door, especially when she so clearly still needed help. He connected the last cable and turned to face her. "Stop asking me." He tried to grin, but she looked so small and so exhausted, laying there in her bed. He hated that the strong, beautiful woman he knew looked so fragile. "What can I do for you?"

"You've done enough." Olivia said.

"Can I make you something to eat?"

Olivia shook her head.

"You want some more water? Is the Tylenol working?" He'd given her just plain Tylenol, thinking the codeine hadn't set well with her, but was worried it wouldn't take away her pain.

"El…" Olivia said in an exasperated tone. "I don't know what I need right now." She shifted on the bed, rolling slightly to her side, trying to get comfortable.

"OK." Elliot said. "Tell you what. I'll stop asking if you promise to tell me if you need anything." He saw he nod slightly, and he walked around the bed, climbing on to it gently so that he didn't jostle her. He saw Olivia watching him, but she didn't say a word. He lay down and rolled on to his side, facing her. "Is this okay?"

Olivia nodded.

"Do you want to snuggle in here against me?" He just wanted her to feel better…and he knew that when you were feeling rotten, sometimes that could provide some level of comfort.

Olivia wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her. She imagined his embrace would make her feel protected…cared for. But she was certain she reeked. She'd had surgery…she'd been sick. "I'm a mess…."

Elliot scooted closer so that she wouldn't have to move, not hearing a no from her. "C'mere."

"I stink." Olivia said again, warning him that he may not want to get close.

"You don't stink." He opened up his arms and slid one arm beneath her neck, moving inch by inch until she was close to him. "Is this okay?" He really wanted her to move against him, but he didn't know how much pain she was in, but then he felt her shift slightly and it allowed him to wrap one arm around her, gently holding her in place.

"It's fine." Olivia said. "It's…" She was at a loss as to what to say. 'Thank you." She whispered.

Elliot placed a gentle kiss in her hair and squeezed his arm slightly against her in acknowledgement. "Anything for you Liv." He whispered back.

Neither one of them said another word, and they drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks to everyone for your incredible patience. Please know that I will NEVER abandon a story. I've really been trying to get an update out, so this is it. Unfortunately, it's REALLY short. I hate that but wanted to get something out while I could versus making everyone wait. I will get another update out as soon as possible!

EOEOEOEO

Olivia woke up, but she was disoriented. There was a hazy blue-white light flickering in the room from the television, and someone snoring lightly beside her. That didn't make any sense, and she wondered if she was still asleep. But then she felt the dull stab of pain in her groin, and everything came back into focus. She turned her head slightly, and saw Elliot was fast asleep, his face lightly illuminated by the TV. She had never really seen him like this, and she wondered what he dreamed about at night.

She shifted slightly, trying to ease the pain, and she saw him move slightly. She froze, afraid she would wake him. But she knew she couldn't lay still forever. She was probably going to need some painkillers soon, and she wondered if she could get out of bed without disturbing him. She rolled onto her other side and sat up slowly, trying to move cautiously so she didn't make any jarring motions. She was just about to stand up, when she felt a hand at her back. The sudden contact made her jump slightly and the pain and surprise made her gasp.

"Where you are going?" Elliot asked sleepily.

"I'm sorry I woke you." Olivia whispered, turning back slightly to look at him.

"I wasn't sleeping."

Olivia smiled at the lie, but let it go. "I'm just going to get some Tylenol."

"I'll get it." Elliot started to climb out of bed.

"El." Olivia said his name in protest, but he was already out of the room. She let out a sigh, feeling guilty because she was perfectly capable of getting it herself but secretly loving the fact that he was doting on her. He was back in a flash with a glass of water and two tablets in his hand, and he handed them to her.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" He asked.

Olivia could see the concern etched in his features. "It's not bad." She said, lying so he wouldn't worry. "I just want to be able to get back to sleep." Elliot seemed to accept her answer, and he walked around the other side of the bed and climbed back in. She was surprised at how quickly he felt comfortable doing that, but then again, they had never been big on respecting personal space.

Still…

"Is this okay?" Elliot asked as he stopped, the blankets bunched in his hand.

Olivia realized she must have shown some level of surprise on her face. "Yes. Of course." She held up her hand with the pills. "Thanks." She downed them with a single gulp of water and set the glass on the nightstand. She debated making a trip to the bathroom, but it didn't seem worth the effort, so she eased herself back down against the pillows, pulling the blanket back up to her chest.

"Do you think you're going to be able to go back to sleep?" Elliot asked as he climbed back into the spot he had so recently vacated.

"Eventually." She said softly, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her right ear before she turned to look at Elliot. "You?" She asked, raising one eyebrow. "Oh…" She said, dragging out the word. "That's right. You weren't sleeping." She teased.

"That's right." Elliot smiled back at her, rolling over slightly on his side to face her. He looked back and forth between her eyes, trying to tell how much pain she was, but he couldn't read her. "You want to watch something on TV?"

"Not really." At this point, she was worried that something would capture her attention and keep her awake.

Elliot fished around in the blankets until he found the remote, and he clicked the power button. The room was plunged into darkness. He reached out tentatively as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and his fingers bumped into her arm. He let it lie there, needing the contact. He felt her shift slightly. He could see the outline of her body now, and he saw she was laying on her side, facing him.

"If you can't fall asleep, tell me. Or if you change your mind and…"

Olivia reached up and lay her hand over his. "Stop worrying." She whispered.

"Impossible."

They lay in silence and Elliot saw Olivia's eyes slide closed. A few more minutes passed, and he heard her breathing even out. Her hold on his hand loosened, and he let his eyes slip shut. He was thankful she was going back to sleep, but then he felt her shift, and she said his name tentatively.

"Yeah?" He asked in a hushed tone, just in case his imagination was playing tricks on him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I was having surgery." She squeezed his hand again. "I realize that was kind of a shitty thing to do." She had been thinking about what Elliot had said, and she knew she'd be furious if he ever did that to her.

"It's okay." Elliot said.

"No. It's not." Olivia said. "Every time you've been hurt, I've wanted to be there."

"And I've wanted you there."

She paused for a second, letting his words sink in. "I just didn't want you to worry because it was really nothing."

"Uh-huh." Elliot said. It was freaking surgery, but he'd already had that discussion with her. He wasn't going to rehash it. "You know that you can always count on me…talk to me." He said. "About anything. Whatever it is."

"Like…if I was pregnant?" Olivia smiled in the dark, remembering the way he had looked at her when he'd asked her that question.

"Yeah, well I knew something was wrong, and I've been through that a few times…" Elliot said, sighing heavily. "I just thought maybe…"

"Well it would have had to be an immaculate conception…" Olivia said, keeping her tone light. She had given up on finding the perfect man…falling in love…the white picket fence. No one compared to the man laying beside her right now.

"Yeah, well…I don't know if you're dating…who you're dating." Elliot said. "You don't tell me those things anymore." He had hated it when she'd been open with that kind of information, but he hated it more when she had started to keep that part of her life private. He dreaded the day that she came into the squad room and told him that she'd found Mr. Right…that she was getting married to the man of her dreams.

It would kill him.

"There's nothing to tell." She went on occasional dates, but more for companionship, or when she felt the need to be touched by a living, breathing human being. She never let herself get emotionally invested, which wasn't hard when your heart belonged to someone else.

Elliot hated that it made his heart leap a little when she told him there was no one special in her life. He was selfish when it came to her, and he knew that wasn't fair. He had argued with himself about telling her the truth. If it was the right thing to do, or the wrong thing to do…the possible outcomes…the potential damage or reward, depending on her reaction. Over the years, he had decided to let _her_ be the one to make the first move or decide to change the nation of their relationship. If and when she wanted to. But he realized in this moment that she would never do that.

He should have known.

He knew Olivia almost as well as he knew himself. She would never put herself out there when it came to affairs of the heart. She'd been hurt by a lifetime of disappointment. He realized it took him seeing her like this to _really_ see the vulnerable person beneath the tough exterior she always presented. He had known it was there…he just hadn't fought hard enough to see it.

"El?" Olivia asked tentatively. He'd been quiet and she wondered if he was thinking about what she'd said. Which was exactly why she didn't talk about her love life. "There's no one in my life right now." She said, squeezing his hand again. "When would I have time? I'm always with you." She said with a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

Elliot flipped his hand around and tangled his fingers with hers. "Right where you should be." He felt like this was the moment…but then he remembered where they were…the circumstances. "How are you feeling?" He asked, changing the subject. "Has the Tylenol kicked in yet?"

"Yeah, it's starting to take the edge off." Olivia felt a stab of disappointment at the change in topic, but also a little grateful. This was uncharted waters, and she wasn't in any condition to explore this any farther.

"Do you think you can sleep?"

"Yeah." She could already feel herself drifting off.

"OK. I'll stay awake until you fall asleep."

Olivia smiled as she felt herself slipping away. "Why are you so good to me?" She whispered.

Elliot barely heard her, recognizing that she was almost asleep. He wrapped his hand more firmly with hers. "That's what love is."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Well, I must be feeling extra sappy today.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia woke with a groan and covered her eyes with her arm at the brightness filtering through the shades. She didn't have to see the vacant spot next to her to realize that Elliot wasn't in bed next to her. She also didn't need more than a minute to realize that it was her urgent need to go to the bathroom that had probably woken her. As she sat up, she waited for the pain to slice into her, but it was still dull throb. A definite improvement. Or else the Tylenol was still working.

As she padded into the adjoining bathroom, she heard movement in the kitchen, and the smell of coffee reached her nose. She inhaled deeply before she closed the bathroom door and hustled over to the toilet before she had an embarrassing accident.

As she washed her hands at the sink, she looked at herself in the mirror, and she was shocked by what she saw. Her hair was a mess, slightly dirty and tangled as if she'd had a wild night of sex. She had make-up smudged lightly beneath her eyes, and her skin look pallid. But worse than all that was the way her breasts stretched out her tank top, and the way it had shifted, leaving plenty of cleavage showing. She knew she hadn't put on her bra when she'd left the hospital but hadn't really thought about that fact when Elliot had relieved her of her sweatshirt when they'd be home. She'd been giving him quite a show and she felt her cheeks color slightly at the thought. He had seen her without makeup…had seen her when she'd just woken from a night of sleep in the cribs…but he had never seen her quite this exposed.

Olivia heard a soft knock on the door. "Don't come in!" She said, more loudly than she meant to. She clutched the front of her tank top and tried pulling the material to cover herself more fully.

Elliot held a mug of coffee for her in his hand, but he heard alarm in her voice. "Is everything okay?" He put his hand on the doorknob. "Do you need some help?" He imagined her laying on the floor in pain and refusing to call for help.

"I said don't come in." She said again, panicking when she heard the rattle of the doorknob.

"OK. I'm not." Elliot said, bracing his free hand against the doorframe and leaning in as close as possible to the door. "I just have some coffee for you." He said.

Olivia wanted the coffee, but she didn't want Elliot to see her like this. Which was ridiculous because he'd been looking at her for the past 18 hours. "I'm getting in the shower." She said, suddenly feeling the need to get cleaned up. "I'll get the coffee later." There was no response from Elliot, and she could almost hear the objection on the tip of his tongue, but he must have thought better of it.

"OK. Yell if you need anything."

Olivia had no doubt that he would be standing right outside the bathroom door the entire time she showered, but the thought of that made her smile instead of angering her. He really _was_ concerned about her.

_That's what love is…_

The words came from nowhere, and Olivia furrowed her brow, trying to remember where and when she'd heard it. Then it came back to her. Just as she was falling asleep the night before…she thought she heard Elliot say it…

_No. _

She must have been dreaming.

And yet…

She could hear Elliot's voice…feel the way he had tightened his hold on her hand.

Had it been real?

She was almost certain it hadn't been a dream, and she felt herself flush at the thought.

Had Elliot told her that he _loved _her? Or had he meant that he cared about her? Loved her as a friend?

"Liv?" Elliot hadn't heard the shower start, and it had been very quiet on the other side of the door.

"Yeah." She said, Elliot's voice breaking through her reverie. "I'm just…" She walked over to the shower. "I'm okay. I'm getting in the shower." She said, feeling flustered as she turned on the water. "I'll be out in a few minutes." She hoped Elliot would go back in the kitchen, because now the thought of having him standing outside the door while she was in here showering was almost unbearable. If she hadn't just had surgery…

"Get a grip." She mumbled to herself, as she moved slowly to strip off her clothes and step into the warm spray.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot wanted to stand outside the door and wait until she emerged, but he decided that it might be a bit too much. He didn't want it to be awkward when she emerged…as if he'd been standing out there, imagining her naked in the shower. Which he wasn't doing…at least…not much.

"Get a grip." He mumbled to himself as he carried her mug of coffee back to the kitchen. He rooted around in her refrigerator, checking on the expiration date on things to see if he would be able to rustle up enough to make them some breakfast.

He set some eggs on the counter, along with a few veggies, and he started to collect some plates and bowls, but he kept one ear open for the sound of the water to stop. His imagination was getting the better of him…picturing her slumped in the shower…passed out. He wondered if someone could actually drown that way? If she passed out, would she crash to the floor…crack her head open?

About the moment he couldn't stand it any longer, he heard the water stop, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He made his way over to her bedroom door and glanced inside, seeing that the bathroom door was still closed. "Everything okay in there?"

"I'm fine." Olivia said. The reality was, she was weaker than she'd thought, and just taking a shower had exhausted her. She slipped her arms into her robe and wrapped it around her body, and then sat down on the closed toilet seat. She must have sat there longer than she'd thought, because she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Are you sure everything's okay? It's okay if you need some help." Elliot wanted to let her know that there was no shame in asking him for assistance. "I'm coming in." he said when he didn't get an immediate response. "Speak now or …" He hoped to God she was at least partially clothed, as he didn't want to embarrass her. Or himself. His hand was on the knob when he felt it turn in his hand. The door started to swing open, and he took a few steps back.

Olivia stood in the doorway, intending to show Elliot she was strong, but her legs were shaking. Before she knew what was happening, Elliot had wrapped one arm around her waist, and was scooping her up in his arms. She couldn't stifle a moan as he wrenched her body, and she heard an immediate apology.

"God, I'm sorry." Elliot said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You looked like your legs were going to give out." He stood there, holding her in his arms, trying to figure out what his options were. He didn't want to move for fear of causing her more pain.

"I can walk." Olivia said, feeling ridiculous that Elliot felt the need to carry her, but contradicting her words by relaxing in his arms. She loved the smell of him…testosterone and sweat and sleep…and the feel of his muscular arms holding her tightly…but gently at the same time. There was a part of her that wanted to curl into his body and stay there forever.

"Do you want to go back to bed, or out on the couch?" He thought she may need a change of scenery, but she still looked so tired.

"Elliot…just put me down and help me into the living room. I don't want to lay down anymore."

Elliot let her down as gently as he could, but left his arm wrapped around her waist. They walked slowly into the other room, and when they reached the couch, he helped ease her onto the couch. He noticed that despite saying she didn't want to lay down anymore, she reclined almost immediately, stretching her long legs on the couch as she shifted on to her side.

"What can I get you? Tylenol? Water?"

"El…just…" She let out a sigh but couldn't bite back a small smile. "if you keep this up, I'm going to get spoiled."

Elliot grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and spread it over her. "Someone should be spoiling you." He leaned over and placed a small kiss on her forehead. The smell of her shampoo filled his nostrils and he lingered, smiling down at her. "I'm going to make us some breakfast." He stood up, needing to distance himself from her. "Get your energy back." He turned and walked towards the kitchen, glancing back at her. "How d'ya like your eggs? I make great scrambled eggs."

"Whatever you make is fine." Olivia closed her eyes, feeling as if she could easily fall asleep before Elliot even reached the kitchen. She thought about the words from the night before and the feel of his lips on her forehead still lingered. A small smile graced her lips, as she listened to Elliot moving around in the kitchen. It all faded away as she slipped into unconsciousness.

EOEOEOEO

When Olivia awoke, the first thing she saw was a glass of juice on the coffee table and a plate with the remains of some scrambled eggs and some toast crumbs on it. She wondered for a moment if Elliot had eaten her breakfast when he found her sleeping again, but she saw an empty juice glass next to the plate and assumed that had been his all along. She listened for any sounds, trying to place him in her apartment, but was met with silence. She wondered if he had slipped out, or maybe left altogether, but based on his recent behavior, she figured that was unlikely.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, she heard movement and saw him round the couch. "Hey." She said softly, and she saw him jump slightly at the sound.

"Hey." He responded, turning towards her. "I didn't know you were awake."

Olivia's eyes wandered up and down his body, taking in the damp hair, and the sweatpants and t-shirt that he had clearly scrounged from her closet.

Elliot saw the way she was eyeing him, and the slight raise of her eyebrow. He looked at her sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind, but I needed to take a shower and I needed some clean clothes and…" He had been surprised to see a few men's sweatshirts and t-shirts in a pile inside her closet. There had also been a flannel shirt and a pair of jeans that clearly belonged to an ex but had been to small for him. This worn in pair of sweats had thankfully been stuck in that same pile. The clothes had been differing sizes, and it made him think that whatever a current beau had left behind went into this same pile, discarded along with the relationship. He wondered if the next man in line ever came upon this pile or had ever worn any of these castoffs like he was doing now.

Olivia felt her cheeks flush again, feeling slightly embarrassed at him finding the pile but also angry with herself for being embarrassed. "It's fine." She said, brushing it off. "Glad you could use them." Her eyes swept up and down again. "And that you took a shower." She teased, trying to move to some more light-hearted just in case he was going to delve into the past and the string of men in her life again.

Elliot gave her a lop-sided grin. "Yeah, except now I smell like you." He raised an arm to his nose, pretending to inhale and making a face. But the truth was that smelling her shampoo and body wash had been kind of a turn on, and he'd had some less than innocent thoughts about the fact that she had been standing where he'd been in the shower, lathering her body…

"El?" He'd gotten a strange look on his face and seemed to be lost in thought, and she would love to know just exactly what he was thinking about. The expression made her think it was similar to some of the daydreams she'd allowed she found her willpower had been lacking.

"Yeah…anyway." Elliot pushed his empty plate to the side and sat down on the coffee table. "I went into the kitchen to whip up my world-famous eggs…"

"Now they're world famous?" Olivia interrupted.

Elliot gave her a practiced roll of his eyes and kept going. "And when I came back with a plate, I found you snoring on the couch."

"Snoring?" Olivia asked.

"Well…sleeping." The truth was that she'd been out like a light, with her mouth slightly agape, and she'd been making the most adorable little sound with each exhale. "Anyway…you hungry?"

"I should probably get dressed." She was self-conscious that beneath the blanket, she was only wearing a thin robe. "I was too out of it to realize that I wasn't exactly…" _Covered up. Decent_. She didn't even know how to finish that sentence without making Elliot feel uncomfortable.

"It's fine Liv. It's not like we're just hanging out and you're running around half naked. You had surgery."

"Oh, well now that I understand the rules…"

"I'm just saying, I wasn't looking at you…you know…like that. Last night. Or today."

"But if I was running around like that on any other day…?" Olivia couldn't believe she'd tossed that out there, but Elliot had brought it on himself. She saw his neck flush slightly…a telltale sign that he was getting bothered.

_Heaven help him._ He didn't know how to answer that. He had tried not to stare. He had chastised himself. But when the woman who had occupied quite a few of your fantasies was unknowingly giving you a glimpse of what you desired, it was hard not to look. Just a little.

He needed to get the upper hand. "I would say that there'd better be a damn good reason to tempt someone like that."

Now it was Olivia's turn to be surprised. They were playing this cat and mouse game, dancing around a subject that had always been off-limits, except for the past 24 hours.

_That's what love is._

"Tempt someone?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She was feeling bolder now. "Tempt them to do what exactly?"

Elliot could see the bravado on her face, but he also could sense a small thread of fear that he would actually answer the question. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Olivia felt her breath quicken. He wasn't backing away from the conversation, and while she knew this wasn't really the time or place or circumstances, she wondered if this would be as close as they'd ever get. Maybe her vulnerability had made him feel brazen, or maybe the way he had cared for her had made her see his devotion for what it really was. "Yes."

Olivia's answer was breathy…barely a whisper…and he could hear the small tremor in that one small word that let him know just how really scared she was. He thought maybe he should leave it alone. That she wasn't in any state to hear this right now. But somehow, he felt like they may never get this chance again.

Elliot moved over to the couch and sat down on the edge. He braced one arm on the back of the couch, and looked down at her, moving his eyes back and forth between hers. He reached out with his left hand and gently swiped her hair back and tucked it behind her ear. It seemed that she was holding her breath, and he knew this was a moment that could change things forever. "I would be tempted to tell this beautiful woman just how much she means to me. That I live for her smile and her laughter, and I hate it when she'd not by my side. I would be tempted to pull her close and tell her how long I've dreamed about kissing her. And I'd hope that maybe…just maybe…she'd smile and close her eyes and lean in a little, inviting me to pull her close…letting me know that she wants the same thing." Elliot wasn't very good at this kind of thing, but the words were coming from the heart and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. He could see the sheen of tears in Olivia's eyes, and he thought that maybe that was a good thing. She wasn't saying anything though and it made his heart skip a beat.

Olivia was struggling to hold the tears at bay. She was having a hard time believing this was Elliot, saying these things to her. One, because he wasn't always the greatest at showing emotion, and two, because…well because…it was _Elliot_. He was putting himself out there, and she owed it to him to be open with him. His words from the night before still lingered. _That's what love is._ She reached up and placed the palm of her right hand against his cheek. "She would lean in and brush her lips against his and she would tell him that she loved him. And that she had for a very long time." Her tears spilled over her lower lashes at that point, and Elliot leaned over, kissing them away as her hand fell to his chest.

He nuzzled her ear with his nose. "I love you Olivia." He whispered and pulled back to look into her eyes once again. "I've loved you for what seems like forever." He kissed the tip of her nose. "It seems crazy that I'm telling you this now…" He said. He found that he couldn't stop smiling. "But it just…" He shrugged his shoulders.

"I had my guard down." Olivia teased, running her hand back up to his cheek.

"Are you saying I took advantage of the situation?" Elliot asked, still grinning at her.

"Not at all. I'm just saying…" Olivia tried to put her thoughts into words. "We're seeing each other a little differently, maybe? I don't know…I just…"

"It doesn't matter what brought us here Liv. Just that we got here."

"Maybe I just told you all that, so you'd stay here and take care of me…" Olivia teased, but his expression let her know that he knew she was teasing.

"I'm not going anywhere Liv." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'm here for the long haul."

"So, am I going to get that kiss?" Olivia asked.

"I think we'll save that for when you're feeling better, because if I kiss you, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to stop." Elliot said with a small laugh. I knew it was probably true.

"I think I can handle it." Olivia said. "I'm willing to take the chance." She knew she wasn't anywhere near ready for that, but she had waited so long for that kiss. She didn't want to wait any longer.

"I'm not." Elliot said. It took all of his willpower to pull himself back from her, and her reached down, pulling the blanket up slightly. He cupped her cheek with his hand. "We have all the time in the world." He smiled. "For now, we're going to focus on your recovery and then…" He let the sentence dangle there and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Is that a promise?" Olivia asked.

"You'd better believe it." Elliot said. He stood up and looked down at her. "So…how about that breakfast I promised you?"

"Seems like a poor substitute." Olivia said, whining slightly. But there was a playfulness in her voice.

"You'll survive." Elliot said, finding that he couldn't wait until Olivia was feeling better. Something had been ignited and he couldn't wait to see what the future would bring.

"El?" He turned and saw she had propped herself up on her arm and was looking at him with a very serious expression on her face. He raised one eyebrow in question. "I just want to say…" She didn't know how to communicate everything she wanted to say to him. "I just feel…" She started again. "I want to say thanks but that sounds so inadequate. But that's what it is. Thanks for being there for me. Always." She groaned because the words didn't match the emotion she was feeling right now.

"Liv…" Elliot said. "Remember what I said. I'll always be there for you. No matter what."

"In sickness and in health?" Olivia quipped, remembering his line from before.

Elliot nodded. "In sickness and in health. For better or worse…the whole damn thing. You're stuck with me." He winked at her, and then turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

The End.

Thanks for reading!


End file.
